Life and War

[ONE YEAR LATER]

TAP!

TAP!!

TAP!!!

Their feets resounded as they ran on the water flowing on the paved path, they frantically ran through a sharp corner. The rain had just stopped falling and the droplet of rain the roof of houses on the street had collected was dripping down the alley.

TAP!

"They are getting closer!" The woman raised an alarm to her husband in tears as they ran.

The man looked over his shoulder as he ran with a child wrapped in his arm. He knew the pursuers would catch up with them in no time. They were no match for the pursuers and their legs were failing at the task they were onto. They had been running for almost an hour nonstop and this inflated their dismay.

[Photo illustration]

The man quickly pulled his wife into a shaft and handed her their child. He looked out again and there was no sign of the pursuers. He heaved a sigh of relief.

"Jia," he started. "You have to protect our son, okay? No matter what comes by. You have to protect him at all cost"

Jia frantically shook her head not wanting to listen to whatever he was going to say next. The water in her hair was dripping on their son's face as she held him. But, he wasn't crying or making any movement. It seemed more like the child was dead already.

"No Max! I cannot. I cannot protect him alone" Jia wailed, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're his father, you should protect him yourself"

The animalistic pounding sound was back in the running track. They were coming again!

Max straightened Jia's hair clearing the stray strands off her face. He cupped her face in his palm now reassuring her with a smile.

"It's okay Jia, I know you can do this. You are much stronger than you think you are. I trust you okay? Keep Ashton safe. You have to protect him from the evil that is coming- you have to protect him with your life my dear."

Max glanced at his son, Ashton. He smiled again, touching the little boy's cheek. His eyes darted back to his wife and he nodded in approval of what need not be a request.

"No Max," Jia softly whispered. The rain was betraying her tears as they both fell off her cheeks as if in a race. She was shaking her head in disapproval of him going out, she could hear him whisper 'I love you both' but those words were not what she wanted at that moment. She knew what he meant by protecting their son. He was going out of the shaft to distract the pursuers. To lure them away from her.

Max stood up urgently and ran out. He ran in the opposite direction of the shaft where he had left his wife and was making distracting sounds to the creatures so they could come after him instead.

Fortunately, the pursuers diverted their route in pursuit of Max alone. A high pitched screeching and a low rumbling roar was heard a few blocks away. Then, the loud cry of Max wrenching in pain came after.

Jia covered her mouth firmly, trying to not make a sound as she sobbed. She knew it! Max had been killed. Her husband had been killed by those wretched mutants. She got up hastily and started to run. Away from the shaft. Away from the damned beasts. No where was safe anymore. The war between humans on earth '404' and mutated beasts that attacked their world seems to be endless.

TAP!

***

As the sun was retiring into its abode, everyone had begun to find a place to hide in again as the night held more danger than the day. Who knows what would be lurking behind in the dark? No where was safe but they had to hide themselves at least.

The attack of these aliens had caused havoc and lots of damage to humans and all human technology used to combat these beasts proved useless. Everyone was left to die, horribly. Finding a place to hide from the beasts was every man's priority other than feeding themselves. No one wanted to die.

Underground oil reservoirs became a place of abode for the elite men and soon, the poor had nowhere to hide themselves. The poor were only left with a few abodes that weren't a bit less dangerous. Either in the mountains or the refugee camp.

The shelter had been attacked a lot of times but, what choice do the poor people have? They had thought the shelter would be safe since the military were deployed there to protect the civilians but all attempts to fight against the mutants that invaded the shelter were futile.

***

TAP!

A Humvee truck stopped at the end of the street. Its headlight went off as it waited for the woman running towards it. Some military men came down from the vehicle in defensive positions as they surveyed the area. They were all armed with firearms and armor. One soldier dropped his gun and helped Jia into the vehicle. There were six other people in the vehicle. Their faces etched with fear.

When everyone had settled, the military men made a rapid tap on the wall of the vehicle. It was a code that the rescue mission had been accomplished and the driver could start the vehicle.

The truck's engine came back to life after the first kick and the driver maneuvered slowly across the tarmacadam road but couldn't avoid some street potholes.

The Humvee truck hit a pothole on the street, and the wheels jostled over the uneven surface sending the passengers inside bouncing and lurching forward. The passengers inside felt a slight jolt, and the vehicle bounced slightly. Ashton made a little sound as the vehicle bounced but it was not for long. The driver swerved to avoid further potholes, and the journey continued on.

Jia rested her head on the wall of the vehicle. The tears in her eyes had dried up and all she could think about was the face of her husband Max. They had been married for not too long before the aliens attacked their earth and now, they had taken him away from her.

She shifted her head to a better spot trying to sleep for a bit. Jia had not had a peaceful sleep ever since the war started. She was tired already and this had taken a toll on her. Once, she was a beautiful woman who had heads turned on the street of Aliviacht but now, she looks like an old hag, deprived of quality sleep and nutritional food. The thoughts running in her head fainted off and she dozed off.

Why sleep temporarily now when you can just sleep forever? At peace?

[A/N: You can check the comical illustration of this chapter on my Instagram page at _Skye155 ]